Finding Joy in Par 3 Golf
The Par 3 Golf Course is one of the great inventions in amateur sports. This adult playground is built to introduce newcomers, weekenders, and children to an otherwise unapproachable sport — but it’s also an affordable opportunity to practice and learn more about the game, even for the most avid golfers.
I grew up on the Audubon Par 3 golf course located within walking distance of my best friend’s house. For $8 per round, we spent entire summers out there. Sometimes we took the game very seriously, sometimes we caught turtles and fished golf balls out of the pond, and sometimes we learned from an old-timer desperate to share knowledge and stories. I witnessed a hole-in-one on the straightforward 90-yard 2nd, tied for the shortest hole on the course, and I took my first lessons on the practice green and chipping range.
Lots of people will probably tell you how important it is to practice shots inside of 100 yards, consisting of well over half of all strokes. But I’m here to taut the intangibles of Par 3 golf, the perfection of it all. See, golf is a sport that often launches its beginners into the same arena as its most dedicated competitors. With the exception of a few different tee boxes, the game is played with the same challenges presented across the board. Some of the great golf course architects along the way have figured out how to level the playing field a bit — using forced carries for longer hitters, risk/reward layouts, easier landing zones for shorter approaches — but it’s the Par 3 course that really eases a new player into the game. And that’s imperative for its sustainability and appeal.
My Par 3 course, the Audubon Par 3 in Amherst, NY, prepared me for all the tests I’d face on a more traditional course. It had water and sand, thick wooded boundaries and sloped greens, all of which were used with discretion and care. The course plays in a big loop and no two holes are close enough for errant shots to disrupt play or cross another golfer’s line to the green. Holes 5 through 7 feel tucked away, usually quieter and more spread out after the traditional bottleneck on hole 4 (the water hole). The layout ushers you away from a busy 4-lane road and brings you back with a renewed sense of the day.
Occasionally, we’d run into office workers on an extended summer lunch break. Rather than hitting a bucket of balls at the driving range, the Par 3 was an efficient way to take a walk, practice the game, post a score, and head back to the office. I’ve since learned about the “Executive Course” concept credited to golf course architect William Mitchell, who developed tracks that would serve this exact purpose.
The Audubon Par 3 Golf Course was designed by another William — William Harries — around the time William Mitchell was nearing the end of his prolific career. Harries was at a point in the early 60’s where his golf course architecture firm had already provided a nice career and Par 3 golf was popping up in many places around the country. So it makes sense that the project would have been exciting and progressive for Harries and those who hired him.
Whatever the inspiration for its construction, the Audubon Par 3 became my inspiration for the game as a whole. And it’s only one example of a wonderful concept that introduces new players to the game of golf — and helps more experienced players hone their abilities. Even at the professional level, tour players enjoy Par 3 golf each year as a traditional part of Masters week. When the game is a little more approachable and relatable, it’s better for everyone.
